The IDs have been nullified and those involved in the forgeries punished, according to a statement by the Ministry of Public Security on Sunday.

The statement said the ministry will promote use of image matching technology across the country to improve the ID management system so that fake ID cards and records can be detected early.

Any members of the police found to have misused their powers in ID forgery will be sacked, the statement said, while pledging to improve their service in this regard.

Last year, Gong Ai'ai, a woman dubbed by Chinese netizens as "Sister House" for having over 40 properties in Beijing despite restrictions on property market, was sentenced to three years in prison for forging IDs and residency records.

One former police officer in the northwestern province of Shaanxi was sentenced to one year in prison for helping Gong obtain the fake IDs.